There it is, my fifth and final Thanksgiving meal of the season. It was really special for me because I was able to share the meal with two good friends and my father, who will be celebrating his 79th birthday on Christmas Day!
From left to right, here’s what we had:

Cranberry-Apple Chutney with a pear in [...]

Categories: Thanksgiving
Tagged: Thanksgiving

A couple months ago I had the privilege of hosting Chef Gabriel Rucker of Le Pigeon for a cooking demonstration at Williams-Sonoma. He prepared a wonderful truffled spinach that inspired this variation.
You’ll need one bunch of spinach for every two portions; no need for expensive baby spinach in this dish. Begin by gently sautéing the [...]

Categories: Thanksgiving, entertaining, gluten-free, mushroom, side dish, vegetarian
Tagged: creme fraiche, entertaining, gluten-free, mushroom, side dish, Thanksgiving, vegetarian

The most popular side dish in all my classes this year has been whipped sweet potatoes, with Chipotle Whipped Sweet Potatoes being slightly more popular. I got the idea for these from Bobby Flay.
Start by baking some sweet potatoes until they’re soft. You’ll probably want to use a sheet pan rather than just putting them [...]

Categories: Thanksgiving, entertaining, gluten-free, mother recipe, side dish, vegetarian
Tagged: entertaining, gluten-free, side dish, Thanksgiving, vegetarian

If there’s one thing that will make the next turkey you cook the best you’ve ever made, it’s brining. Giving that bird 24-48 hours in a pleasantly salty bath will make even an industrially-raised hormone-filled turkey taste good! What it does for a heritage breed, like the Bourbon Red in the photo, is nothing short [...]

Categories: Thanksgiving
Tagged: brining, Thanksgiving

Cranberry-Pear Salsa
12 ounces cranberries, fresh or frozen, roughly chopped
2 pears, diced
1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 serrano chile, seeded and diced
zest of 1 orange
1 tablespoon blue agave syrup or honey
1 tablespoon canola oil
salt to taste
Mix ingredients together and adjust the seasoning. If you want more heat, use the seeds or add another chile. Best [...]

Categories: Thanksgiving, condiments, dairy-free, entertaining, gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian
Tagged: condiments, dairy-free, entertaining, gluten-free, Thanksgiving, vegan, vegetarian